1861

1861 was the 1,861st year of the Common Era and the second year of the 1860s. It was notable for having been the start of the American Civil War, a key event in United States history, as well as the creation of the Kingdom of Italy and the abolition of serfdom in the Russian Empire.

Events

 * On 1 January 1861, Benito Juarez and the Mexican liberals capture Mexico City.
 * From 9 January to 1 February 1861, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana secede from the United States. On 4 February, the provisional Confederate States Congress is formed in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Confederate States of America is formed on 8 February.
 * On 13 February, King Francis II of the Two Sicilies is forced to go into exile after the fall of Gaeta to the Sardiniaan army.
 * On 3 March 1861, the Emancipation Reform of 1861 is passed by Czar Alexander II of Russia, abolishing serfdom in the Russian Empire.
 * On 17 March 1861, the Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed, with King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy becoming its first monarch (he was the second King of Sardinia named "Vittorio Emmanuele", and he decided to keep the "II" in his title even after becoming King of Italy).
 * On 12 April 1861, the American Civil War begins with the Battle of Fort Sumter, during which the Confederate States Army captures a US Army garrison in South Carolina.
 * From 17 April to 20 May, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina secede from the Union to join the growing Confederacy, and Richmond becomes the Confederate capital.
 * On 15 June 1861, Benito Juarez is elected President of Mexico, and he temporarily suspends the payment of foreign debt.
 * On 21 July, the First Battle of Bull Run is fought between the Union and Confederacy in Virginia, the first major battle of the Civil War.
 * On 5 August, flogging is abolished by the US Army, and the first income tax (3%) in US history is implemented to help with the war effort.
 * On 30 October 1861, Missouri secedes from the Union to join the Confederacy.
 * On 31 October, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France sign a tripartite agreement to invade Mexico and force Juarez's government to repay its debts.